It’s the final, final update!
As of February 25, 2026 at 01:00 UTC, the final, final update for Kirby Air Riders has been released, and with the all-new version 1.3.1 update, plenty of tweaks have been implemented, and a whole new Grand Prix mode has been added.
For the full patch notes, we have them here:
Kirby Air Riders | Ver. 1.3.0 Patch Notes: (Released February 24, 2026)
General:
The following amiibo figures are now supported.
- Meta Knight & Shadow Star
- King Dedede & Tank Star
- Chef Kawasaki & Hop Star
Balance Adjustments:
The performance of certain riders has been adjusted.
Rider name Adjustment details King Dedede Affected modes: City Trial/Air Ride
- Increased attack detection for Quick Spin during Special.
Waddle Doo Affected modes: All modes
- Improved Turn performance on the ground.
Gooey Affected modes: City Trial/Air Ride
- Lengthened the amount of time Special is active.
Cappy Affected modes: City Trial/Air Ride
- Lowered Top Speed of Special.
Affected modes: Air Ride/Top Ride
- Lowered durability of the mushroom cap.
Affected mode: Top Ride
- Lengthened the amount of time it takes for the mushroom cap to come back.
Scarfy Affected mode: Top Ride
- Raised Top Speed in angry state.
Noir Dedede Affected mode: Top Ride
- Lowered Turn performance.
The performance of some machines has been adjusted.
Machine name Adjustment details Warp Star Affected mode: Top Ride
- Raised Top Speed on the ground.
Winged Star Affected mode: Top Ride
- Raised Top Speed while gliding.
- Machine will now jump higher when going over jump ramps, etc.
Slick Star Affected mode: Top Ride
- Raised Top Speed on the ground.
Bulk Star Affected mode: Top Ride
- Increased charging speed while drifting.
- Reduced amount of charge-gauge consumption during Boost Dash.
Swerve Star Affected modes: City Trial/Air Ride
- Increased charging speed.
- Strengthened acceleration of Boost Dash.
Turbo Star Affected modes: All modes
- Raised Top Speed on the ground.
Jet Star Affected modes: City Trial/Air Ride
- Weakened acceleration of Boost Dash.
- It’s now harder to maintain speed on perfect landings when landing from a course gimmick.
Wheelie Bike Affected mode: Top Ride
- Raised Top Speed on the ground.
- Machine will now jump higher when going over jump ramps, etc.
Rex Wheelie Affected modes: All modes
- Strengthened acceleration when going over a jump ramp, etc.
Affected modes: City Trial/Air Ride
- Raised Top Speed.
Affected mode: Top Ride
- Weakened deceleration when hitting a wall.
Wheelie Scooter Affected mode: Top Ride
- Lowered Top Speed on the ground.
Hop Star Affected modes: City Trial/Air Ride
- It’s now easier to maintain speed on perfect landings.
Affected mode: Top Ride
- Raised Top Speed.
Vampire Star Affected modes: City Trial/Air Ride
- Raised Top Speed while gliding.
Affected mode: Top Ride
- Reduced reaction from rivals when preyed upon.
Paper Star Affected mode: Top Ride
- Raised Top Speed while gliding.
- Strengthened acceleration while gliding.
Chariot Affected mode: Top Ride
- Machine will now jump higher when going over jump ramps, etc.
Battle Chariot Affected mode: Top Ride
- Raised Top Speed on the ground.
- Machine will now jump higher when going over jump ramps, etc.
Tank Star Affected mode: Top Ride
- Raised Top Speed on the ground.
- Weakened deceleration during Boost Charge.
Transform Star Affected mode: Top Ride
- Raised Top Speed on the ground.
- Raised Top Speed while gliding. (Star mode only.)
- Machine will now jump higher when going over jump ramps, etc. (Bike mode only.)
The performance of some Copy Abilities has been adjusted.
Copy Ability name Adjustment details Wheel Affected mode: Top Ride
- Raised Top Speed on the ground.
- Improved Turn performance while drifting.
Steel Ball Affected mode: Top Ride
- Raised Top Speed on the ground.
- Weakened deceleration while drifting.
Missile Affected mode: Top Ride
- Raised Top Speed on the ground.
Bug Fixes:
- Improved communication stability during online play.
- There was a problem in the Checklist where the number of events, machines, riders, etc. would not be counted correctly in applicable tasks. This has been fixed so that even if the issue has already occurred, players can restore counts to the correct number by restarting the game.
- Fixed an issue in the Checklist where rewards for completing all the tasks for Air Ride, Top Ride, City Trial, and Road Trip could not be obtained.
- Fixed an issue in the Checklist where the task “Hit 2 riders with Kaboombs in a single race” would not be considered accomplished in an online match, even if conditions were met.
- Fixed an issue where multiples of the same legendary-machine parts would sometimes appear during online matches in City Trial.
- Fixed an issue in the Air Ride course Cyberion Highway where riders would sometimes go off course after getting off the grind rails and be unable to return to the course.
- Fixed an issue where, by performing a Quick Spin on a grind rail just before a specific rider’s Special would end, the Special would not end.
- Fixed an issue in the Air Ride course Crystalline Fissure where riders could go at abnormally fast speeds when jumping out of the ground of the half-pipe using the Drill Copy Ability.
- There was a problem with Taranza where spider silk could be produced even when in a frozen state from something like a rival’s Freeze Copy Ability, so the frozen state could be quickly lifted. This issue has been fixed so that Taranza cannot produce silk when frozen.
- Fixed an issue where headwear was not reflected when riders were randomized in Local Play.
- Fixed an issue where, if a player-controlled Scarfy was near when a Transform Star placed in a garage transforms, Scarfy could end up entering angry state.
- Fixed an issue in the Air Ride course Checker Knights where the appearance effects of the jump ramps that appear and disappear were sometimes out of alignment with their actual position.
- Fixed an issue with Transform Star where it would sometimes not accelerate if a Boost Dash was performed when a mode switch finished.
- Fixed an issue where certain Copy Abilities wouldn’t work properly after Scarfy’s angry state ended while the Copy Abilities were activated.
- Fixed an issue where the thumbnails for My Machines would, in rare instances, be incorrect.
- Fixed an issue in City Trial where items would sometimes not appear when destroying crystals in the underground area with Knuckle Joe’s automatic attack.
- Fixed an issue in Free Run where, after recording a Personal Best with Transform Star (star mode or bike mode), the Best Run data could not be loaded when trying to start a race in a different mode from the one in which the Personal Best was recorded in.
- Fixed an issue where online-events records could sometimes be used as a reference value for the “High Score” search condition in Spectate.
- Since records that could not be produced in normal play were sometimes used as a reference value, all reference values for “High Score” have been initialized in this latest update.
- “High Score” search results will temporarily not be displayed until players race with and on the corresponding machines/courses.
- Fixed an issue where the game would stop progressing if the course was randomized during a Top Ride Series in a paddock.
- Made several other miscellaneous gameplay fixes.
Note: Ver. 1.3.1 may not be compatible with replays from Ver. 1.3.0. Ver. 1.3.1 is not compatible with replays from Ver. 1.2.0 and earlier. Convert replays you want to keep to video files by selecting Record on the playback-settings screen within Cached Data and Data Replay before downloading the update. (Note: A microSD Express card is required to use this function.)
About Kirby Air Riders:
Charge up for action with Kirby and crew—download the free demo for a limited time!
Start with some basic lessons to learn how to navigate battles and fast-paced races on the ground and in the air—and then choose from Kirby, Meta Knight, King Dedede, and more to Boost Charge your way into the action online* with City Trial or offline with Air Ride. Download the free demo and play at specified times during the weekends of November 8-9 and November 15-16.
Fast-paced vehicular action: Pick your rider, pick your machine, and mount up for competition! Take on your rivals in frantic arena battles or fast-paced races on the ground and in the air. Use the Boost Charge button to brake and control your turns as your machine automatically fights for top speed. Fill your Boost Charge Gauge as you drift around the bend and release it to trigger an explosive dash!
RIDER BASICS:
- Boost into the fray: Ride and battle with just two buttons. Press the Boost Charge button to brake, drift, and fill your Boost Charge Gauge as your machine moves forward automatically. Once it’s full, dash forward with gusto!
- Battle with Quick Spin: Wiggle the control stick to perform a spin attack. Slam into enemies to send them flying!
- Turn the tide with Specials: Drive and fight to fill your Special Gauge. Once it’s full, you can activate your rider’s Special to edge out the competition.
- Grab Copy Abilities: Inhale or capture an enemy to receive their Copy Ability. Some Copy Abilities let you attack, while others give you bonuses like a speed increase.
RIDERS:
- Kirby: A light and floaty friend to all! This well-balanced hero has no clear weaknesses.
- King Dedede: A heavyweight rider who rules the raceway! Hits hard with his powerful hammer.
- Meta Knight: A shadowy defender who slashes rivals with his sword and slices through the air on dark wings.
- Bandana Waddle Dee: A sturdy rider who builds Boost Charge quickly. His trusty spear stings rivals like a hornet!
- Knuckle Joe: A fierce fighter who jabs at riders that come too close. Charge up fully for a flurry of punches!
- Cappy: The mushroom cap doubles as a protective cushion. Race ahead of rivals before it falls apart!
- Star Man: Excels at airborne maneuvers. Jump for a burst of speed and soar right over your rivals!
- Magolor: A sly spell caster who accelerates a lot after Star Slides. Attack rivals ahead of you with perfect landings!
- Susie: A smug, shiny entrepreneur. Deploys a propeller to take off and float gently through the air.
MACHINES:
- Warp Star: Both drives and glides perfectly well. An easy ride with no clear weaknesses.
- Winged Star: Slow when ground-bound, but soars gracefully whenever it takes flight.
- Wheelie Bike: Races ahead on a single wheel. An interesting design compared to star-type machines.
- Paper Star: Light as paper with impressive flight capabilities. Fragile, but offers excellent acceleration.
- Tank Star: Rushes forward on Boost Dashes. Boost Charges help it tackle turns at a rapid pace.
CITY TRIAL:
- Explore Skyah: Zip around the city of Skyah in City Trial: a free-for-all battle for 16 players online* or 8 players via local wireless.** You have 5 minutes to collect power-ups and prepare your machine for a Stadium contest.
- Power up your machine: Find items scattered all over Skyah to raise your machine’s stats.
- Battle!: Clash with rivals in a competition to claim power-ups! Watch out for opponents looking to thwart you by destroying your machine…
- Field Events: Survive unpredictable Field Events like fearsome boss battles, falling meteors, and more!
- Stadium: The final challenge takes place at the Stadium! The challenge is chosen from one of four randomly selected options. Try and pick one that suits your powered-up machine.
AIR RIDE:
- Race to the finish: Drive, fight, and aim to cross the finish line first. Compete against a medley of riders in local and online matches with up to 5 other players.
Play with amiibo: Mix and match in-game Figure Players with the new rider-machine dual pack amiibo™ figures! Each pack comes with one rider and machine, which together form a figure. You can change the combination of your riders and machines to make different figures, too.
- Tap them into your game to play with your Figure Players! By racing together with them, their level and machine’s proficiency will increase.
Source: Nintendo
